So, big thanks to my Grandmother for buying this for me for Christmas. As I expected it to be, this one is a keeper. The Lost Classics is a collection of Robert Ruark's writings from various publications, a large portion of which we printed as monthly serials. Dating from the 50's and 60's, these writings provide a glimpse of a time and place this is surely gone forever. Ruark's style and knack for telling a story is reflected in each of these works.
Jim Casada has done an excellent job of assembling these. Having no frame of reference or firsthand knowledge of the columns Ruark published, I am at the mercy of those who can decide which were the best. That said, these were all excellent stories and worthy of finding their way into a book so they can be remembered a while longer. In short, this is a book to read if you like reading such things. The short story format makes it a good book for short bursts of reading and taken as whole the book is an easy, easy read.
- Readability - 5 of 5 - While Horn of the Hunter provided a fairly in depth look at the man and the way he saw things, The Lost Classics is structured by virtue of the original context of the work (IE: Magazine articles) to get you in, get it done, and get you out again. Short and sweet... It's a really easy read.
- Subject Matter - 5 of 5 - While Ruark's stories spend a lot of time talking about hunting and the outdoors, the stories here also talk about the life lessons learned as a boy in North Carolina. It's good stuff.
- Editing - 5 of 5 - I like all of the stories in this book. I am certain it took a good deal of work to pick them over the others available. And the flow all seems to make sense.
- Did I Like the Story - 5 of 5 - See above. Nuff said....
If you enjoy Robert Ruark's work or if you are looking for a way to see if you will, pick this up and read it. It's worth the time and will sit between chapters without any demands on you to know what is next... unless you like it and then, it's a good thing anyway. Enjoy.
